Prosecutor: Seattle-area man caught with one wife too many

Lake Forest Park resident charged with bigamy after first wife learns of second

Published 10:24 am, Wednesday, January 15, 2014

A Lake Forest Park man accused of marrying a second wife while still wed to his first has been charged with bigamy.

Filing the felony charge, King County prosecutors contend Patrick McDanel married the second woman in May 2012. According to charging papers, McDanel, 47, hid his wife of 23 years from No. 2.

McDanel’s first wife contacted Lake Forest Park police on Oct. 7 after learning her hubby had doubled down on marriage.

Speaking with police, the woman -- mother to three of McDanel’s children -- reported her husband served her with divorce papers the week before she contacted authorities. A Lake Forest Park detective later confirmed that McDanel filed for divorce in late September.

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The woman told police she discovered McDanel’s second wife through Facebook. According to charging papers, she said she and McDanel were still living together and had not separated.

Having confirmed McDanel and the woman married in April 1990, investigators verified McDanel married his second wife on May 29, 2012, the detective told the court.

Interviewed by police, the second wife said she and McDanel had been dating since 2011 and that she had no idea he was married, the detective said in court papers. The woman said McDanel told her he was divorced.

According to charging papers, McDanel admitted to marrying both women. He said he filed for divorce after the women learned of one another.

“At that point, as quickly as I could, I filed for divorce because I knew I was breaking the law,” McDanel told police according to court papers.

The detective went on to say McDanel said he may have delayed the divorce because he “had the children’s emotional wellbeing in the back of his head.”

Charged with bigamy, McDanel has not been jailed. He faces up to a year in jail if convicted as charged.